Security tightens over tri-city
MOHALI:
Even as the excitement over India-Pakistan epic encounter reached a crescendo, security agencies left no stone unturned to secure the city before tomorrows World Cup semi-final clash to be witnessed by the Prime Ministers of both the countries besides other VVIPs.
The airspace over the tri-city (Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula) has been
declared a no-fly zone with Indian Air Force choppers on operational stand-by for surveillance.
At Mohali, where the two teams will face each other, water-tight security has been put in place.
Multi-layered security has been thrown around the stadium, including Special Protection Group (SPG), National Security Guard (NSG), central and state police forces.
Times of India reported that the
National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) has been given the task of air surveillance and it is expected to use Israeli-made unmanned air vehicles (UAV). The UAVs also during the Commonwealth Games last year are also capable of detecting airborne aggressors.
Prime ministers of India and Pakistan besides a host of VVIPs will be watching the match so we have made water-tight security arrangements, said Mohalis Senior Superintendent of Police, GPS Bhullar.
Anti-aircraft guns will be placed strategically and NSG commandos will join a large number of security personnel to guard the stadium, which will be primarily taken over by the elite SPG.
Security personnel also positioned themselves on rooftops in adjoining buildings of the stadium to maintain strict vigil.
Anti-sabotage teams, police, 150 CCTV cameras, Quick Reaction Teams, bomb disposal and sniffer dog squads would be in place as part of fool-proof security, which also included drawing up of contingency plans to meet any untoward situation.
With archrivals facing each other after a long gap as bilateral action between the two nations had been suspended in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, cricket mania has been touching new heights with each passing day.
Hotel rooms in Chandigarh and Mohali and much beyond having been fully booked with leading hotels including the Taj, where the two teams are staying, plan to have some makeshift arrangement in place to accommodate guests.
Security tightens over tri-city – The Express Tribune
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